Winter 2009 Edition - New Holland

It is fair to say that after 30 years of contracting Rodger Smith
has never met a blue tractor he didn’t like.
Rodger started contracting in the Waikato when he was 21
with a Fordson Major equipped with hedge cutter. Over the
years the business grew until he had seven tractors on the
go – all of them New Hollands.
That was in 2000. Since then Rodger has taken his foot off
the accelerator. He has eased back to three tractors and an
operation that focuses solely on round bale silage.
“We downsized to the one baler-wrapper and a truck and
trailer unit that we use to cart bales, maize silage and sand
or metal for farmers. Basically we decided that health is more
important than work and there is more to life than stressing
out all the time.”
Rodger says he started with blue tractors and stuck with
them because he never had a major problem with any of
them and he always received great back-up and service.
Why would he change, he asks.
“Now we have two New Holland TSA115 and a TSA135. The
two TSA115s are kitted out with MX120 front end loaders,
which we use for stacking bales or loading and unloading
the truck. They also run the mower and the rake in the baling
operation.”
The TSA135 is suited to run the baler-wrapper. Rodger says
it has no problem at all towing the big unit.
“It could have a bit more horsepower but then it would just
go faster and the baler wouldn’t make as good bales. I like
C U S T O M E R P R O F I L E
Three decades of contracting
with blue tractors
Above: Rodger Smith with his TSA115 and TSA135
the TSA135 because all the controls are at your finger tips
and it is easy to use.
“It has eight gears in both the high and the low range, and
you can change between them at the push of a button. The
gear range is perfect for our application.”
Asked about their fuel consumption, Rodger says any tractor
uses too much diesel but for what they are doing, his New
Hollands don’t drink the stuff.
Over the decades, he has dealt with several dealers that
have handled the Ford and New Holland machines, including
Hawke Motors in Morrinsville, D & W in Pukekohe, Norwood
Farm Machinery Centre in Te Awamutu, and now Norwood
Farm Machinery Centre in Morrinsville.
The quality of the tractors he has bought from them and the
service these dealers have provided are the reasons he has
stuck with the brand.
“All tractors have teething problems but I have never had a
major breakdown. Whenever there have been hiccups, they
have provided us a tractor to carry on with.”
Over the years Rodger has had 20 blue tractors. He admits
that his favourite of the bunch was the old Ford 7710. He had
four or five of them, and he says they were a brilliant, compact
tractor with a four cylinder turbo engine. “They were a grunty
tractor that would do everything we wanted them to do.”